Is there a bass guitar YouTube equivalent for Ola/Keith Merrow etc? Eventual NGD, + clip (finally)

guitarfishbay

Preferably someone who plays with a pick but I'd take anyone who plays aggressively, and again it'd be more useful for me if they played below standard tuning just because I'm going to be tuned to a low B.  

I feel like I'm not getting anywhere searching for clips of bass gear used for rock/metal, I can find 5 string clips at least for the lower notes.  I like slap/funk etc but that is pretty much all I seem to find unless it is a complete cover of a heavier song.

Drew_TNBD

Nolly?

guitarfishbay

His channel is mostly guitar stuff 

guitarfishbay

And I can't afford a Dingwall anyway, the ones at bass centre seem to be £2k up

Drew_TNBD

Get a bog standard Fender, and put some decent pickups in it, and get the right gauge for your tuning. Bass isn't really as complicated as guitar in terms of tonal variations. You need a tasty preamp as well.

guitarfishbay

Well I'm fairly set on getting a used MIM Jazz and upgrading the pickups but I am also looking at getting a preamp of some sort.  So far I like what I've heard from Darkglass, and that Boss pedal looks cool, but I've not heard much other stuff.

If there was a decent rock/metal bass channel with one decent player it would be helpful to compare stuff at a broad stroke level.

Drew_TNBD

There is a band called Latitudes who I am a fan of. They play in Drop-B. Their bassist uses a Jazz, not sure if it's a MIM or a MIA one. But his tone is great.

My Fame Baphomet sounds great too, and once I have the right gauge strings it'll sound better. Although I do quite fancy switching to passive electronic and seeing what a difference (if any) it makes. Currently it has EMG's.

fretmeister

Bass The World uses 3 or 4 guys

Ed Friedland is on Bass Whisperer TV and on Guitar World and on BassPlayerMag

The main problem is that Youtube (and PC speakers) is shite for good bass demos.

For 30 years every rock player used Ampeg. Then Ampeg changed hands and all the big players left - most went to Hartke. But plenty of guys use Gallien Krueger and Ashdown or use preamps and go straight into to PA.

And despite all the bollocks on bass forums - most of the best players are competent with fingers and a pick and will select the right thing for the song. Many players perform with fingers, but will record with a pick to get better definition in the studio.

As for gear used in Rock & Metal...

Jason Newstead - Sadowsky with Ampeg

Geddy Lee - Fender Jazz with Sansamp preamps then into PA (no cabs)

Steve Harris - Fender Precision with Hiwatt amps

Nolly - Dingwalls with AX-FX profiled versions of the Darkglass B7K

Duff McKagan - Fender P/J with Gallien Krueger amps and cabs

Frank Bello - Fender P/J (or his sig ESP) into Tech21 pedals and Hartke LH1000

David Ellefson - Jackson sig model into Hartke LH1000 with 810 Hydrive cabs

Billy Sheehan - Pearce Preamps into Hartke HA3500 and LH1000 heads into ATK series cabs

Troy Sanders - Fender P/J into TC Electronic Blacksmith head and cabs

Paul Gray - Warwick and Ibanez basses into Tech 21 preamps with Peavey poweramps and cabs

Rex Brown - Spector basses into Hartke Kilo and Hydrive cabs

Shavo Odajian - Gibson T-bird with Ashdown ABM heads and cabs

Justin Chancellor - Demeter preamps, Gallien Krueger heads and cabs (and a billion pedals)

Lemmy. Rickenbacker and a shitload of Marshalls with 4x15 cabs.

Tom Araya - ESP sig model and Ampeg heads & cabs

Just for a few examples

guitarfishbay

Thanks @fretmeister

fretmeister

You'll notice that even in the Hartke amp users the players have very different sounds

Vic Wooten:

David Ellefson:

So really - don't get worried about it. Get a good Jazz type bass and a good loud amp with a good EQ section.

And if you look at drive pedals - get the ones with a Clean Blend so you don't lose the low end.

guitarfishbay

Cool.  Well I have sourced a couple of potential instruments and just need to try them out.  I've got the rest of the month before I need to make a decision on this so right now not too worried and can wait to see if anything else pops up.

Pretty much looking at used MIMs, there are two locally I'm hoping I can check out before they sell.

Though for more money there is this MIA.  http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/american-standard-jazz-bass-with-fender-gig-bag/1103760994

No idea what the 03's sound like.  I really like the current model but that will have different pickups and I'm not sure what else different?  No case is a bummer.

guitarfishbay

Though the new Sire Marcus Miller stuff is crazy cheap... less than £300 for a Jazz bass with the 'correct' woods (well, I want Alder/Rosewood) and an active preamp.  So new though, doesn't seem to be much word out about them.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/marcus_miller_v7_alder_4_ts.htm

guitarfishbay

And while I'm spamming my own thread with a stream of consciousness, here is a Jazz bass pickup shootout I found.  Interesting how much fretting noise you hear with the EMGs in some situations, I wonder how much you can counter that with playing technique and EQ.  I like the Nordstrands and EMG JVX sets.

Both pickups

Neck pickup

Bridge pickup

Both pickups slap

Dave_Mc

I'm sure I came across a clip on Youtube a while back where someone played all the Bass "classics" to show you how a jazz, precision, rick, musicman etc. sounded. EDIT: This one maybe:

I only started bass myself recently, so don't take this as gospel, but I think bass is a lot less genre-specific than guitar is. So that might not be helping you to find vids.

guitarfishbay

Cheers. I've managed to try all the standard stuff (except Ricks) and I'm pretty set on a Jazz, the current MIA standards I've played sound spot on right away. The only other thing that has given me food for thought as an option is the Ibanez SR700, but I reckon I prefer a Jazz. I'm just finding it tough to justify the current MIA, it would leave no budget for anything else really.

If I can get a tone I like with my Axe FX then I won't need a pedal but so far I honestly think the main problem is all the basses I have access to sound too thick (Humbuckers or Soapbar style). Soon as I started trying out Jazz basses I got the kind of tone I was looking for very easily. So maybe I should just suck it up and buy a new MIA as a 'bass for life'... I also think I'd be happy with an upgraded MIM but I'm very picky with what instruments are like, I tend to try a lot of stuff per shop purchase but those are the guitars I keep long term usually. Buying used is a bit of a lottery, though the savings are always nice.

Drew_TNBD

That video really makes me want a Musicman Stingray.

Dave_Mc

Oh yeah I mean if you know you like Jazzes then that's different. And if you think you might keep it for ever then the extra money might be worth it.

(You've already tried way more basses than I have fwiw ) )

Drew_TNBD

I tell ya.. I got a bass back in 2004. Just a cheapo Jazz knock off on ebay for £90.

It was one of the best basses I ever played. Really. I stupidly gave it to someone when moving house. But I do occasionally think about getting another one. It didn't have a name on the headstock though, so I'd be shooting in the dark. But it was basically just some cheap bullshit made in China nameless bass with crappy electronics. It played great though.

fretmeister

Sandberg TT4 or TM4 is better built than any Fender Jazz you'll ever find.

guitarfishbay

I think there were 2 Sandbergs in PMT last week, MM looking bridge HB and Jazz looking neck pickup. Didn't have time to try them but if they're still there I could take a look. IIRC they were marked up around £900 and looked like a stained ash body, no pick guard. Unless I have got that mixed up.

guitarfishbay

It is the middle position on a Jazz I like most. I do like the MM bridge pickup too. Maybe I do need to look at these Sandbergs. Looking at the stock on the PMT site the two they have are reduced price basic models with MM/Jazz pickups, they're listed at a higher price on the website. This looks cool too. http://www.thomann.de/gb/sandberg_california_jm4_srb.htm